Besides the various masonic orders, there is another group
active that is closely related to freemasonry: the Mechanics.

Mechanism started in 1757 as a schism of a couple masonic
lodges in England. In that year the Independent United
Order of Mechanics was founded in the county Lancaster. From there it spread to
the United States, Central-America and the Caribbean. Especially in those regions
the order is still active today. Mechanism has in those areas a bigger
attractive power to the local communities than the anglo-saxon Freemasonry.
Mechanics-lodges in England and the Netherlands consist almost entirely of
people from that region.

Nowadays there are, as result of various schisms, several
orders. Four of these orders appear to be active in the Netherlands:

Independent United Order of
Mechanics, Western Hemisphere, Friendly Society

Independent United Order of Scottish
Mechanics of the Universe

Independent Order of Mechanics,
Friendly Society, Preston Unity, United States

Mechanism has a lot of similarities with freemasonry. The
first six degrees are almost identical to the masonic blue degrees. After these
six degrees, there are some more, almost identical to the York rite of
freemasonry (Mark degrees, Royal Arch and Knight Templars.

The Mechanics are for both males and females open.
They have, however, separate meetings, men in lodges, women in chapters.
Prospective members have to produce a medical statement that they are of sound
mental and physical health.

The largest order of Mechanics (Independent United Order
of Mechanics) consist of nine districts:

1. United States

2. Trinidad & Tobago

3. British Guyana

4. Barbados

5. United Kingdom

6. Surinam

7. St. Lucia

8. Netherlands

9. St. Vincent

10. Grenada

The numbers of
membership of the various orders across the world and in the Netherlands are not
known. In the Netherlands it will probably be a couple of hundreds. The I.U.O.M.
has about 400 members in the Netherlands.